Bloodied and Bruised, and Somehow Saved (REWRITTEN)
by Spawn0fBellatrix
Summary: A slight alteration to the Little Shop timeline—Seymour tells Audrey how he feels before the plant can even speak. What does this mean for Seymour, Audrey, and Orin?
1. Chapter 1

_Hello! This is a rewrite and completion of a story I started several years ago on a different account. Enjoy!_

5:55. Time to start shoving customers out, something Mr. Mushnik never could have dreamed he'd have to do.

"Come back tomorra to see the wonderful weird Audrey II! It'll be even bigger and better, right Krelborn?" The exhausted botanist nodded in reply as he moved through a crowd of reporters and fans towards the door, knowing they'd follow him right out.

"Closing time!" Seymour cried out as strongly as he could. He staggered with exhaustion with each step, barely able to move; passing the nights by letting a large flytrap drink his blood took a toll on him physically, it appeared.

By 6:04, Mushnik's Skid Row Florist was devoid of customers, fans, and reporters for the day. "Three whole weeks of customers!" Mushnik exclaimed. _Please don't droop tonight_ , Seymour tried to silently will his plant, unsure if he could take another round of feedings, of finger prickings and blood suckings that left him weak, weary, and sleepless. Thankfully, Audrey II's pod stood upright for now. "Keep that plant beautiful, Seymour!" Mushnik called as his final adieu before leaving his shop to the storehand and his plant. And...

 _Audrey!_ He finally remembered: Audrey was still in the back room. Rushing to her carefully, so as not to stumble in front of her, Seymour called out, "Audrey, everyone's gone, it's closing time!" But when he finally got to the back room, he didn't see the blonde at the table where she normally worked. A quiet whisper came from across the room, and Seymour followed it to his coworker, whom he found sitting on an overturned bucket in the corner, her face buried in her hands.

Quietly, Seymour knelt down beside her, softly asking, "Audrey, are you okay?"

Audrey looked up with tear-streaked eyes. "Oh, Seymour! I'm, uh...I'm fine," she said, trying mask her tears with a beautiful, sad smile.

"Then why are you crying?" he asked innocently.

Wiping the tears from here eyes, Audrey responded, "I...I have a date tonight."

"And you don't want to go?"

Audrey bit her lip, the tears welling up in her eyes, and shook her head 'no' before hiding her face again and giving in to her sobs.

Seymour knew he needed to do something, but what? Maybe this was his chance to try...if she'd let him.

"You don't have to," he told her softly.

She looked up again, her face drenched in fresh tears. "If I don't, Orin'll get angry. And he'll come looking for me, and—" Audrey stopped herself before she could finish, her lip quivering as she struggled not to cry too much in front of Seymour. Her tears had begun to wash away her makeup, revealing small bruises and abrasions that Seymour had never seen before, ones she'd managed to fully hide. Fury welled up inside him, that someone, a man, could hurt this delicate beauty in such a horrible way. But this anger made him brave.

Mustering up all his courage, Seymour gingerly placed his hand on her shoulder. "Audrey," he began, "why do you let him do this to you? There are guys that'd...that would _kill_ to be with you. You could have any guy you wanted to, a nice boy." He gave a small smile, hoping he was comforting her instead of scaring her off.

"I don't deserve a nice boy, Seymour," she retorted glumly. "Yes you d—" "You don't know the half of it!" she burst suddenly. "I've lived a terrible life. I _deserve_ Orin Scrivello, DDS." Seymour opened his mouth to protest, but she cut him off again with, "You wanna know where I met 'im?" He looked quizzically at her, and she continued: "The Guttah."

He raised his eyebrows and inquired, "the gutter?"

Audrey nodded, "The Guttah. It's a night spot. I work there my nights off when we ain't makin' much money. I put on, cheap and tasteless outfits, not nice ones like this. Low and nasty apparel...and I..." Tears strangled the end of the sentence.

Seymour wanted to make everything bad leave Audrey's life forever. He wanted to tell her that everything would be okay, and that he could protect her. He _would_ protect her. He wanted to get ride of Orin Scrivello, DDS, in any way he could. _Perhaps a thirsty plant..._ Seymour quickly shook the vile thought from his mind, but he did find the words to say.

"Audrey, you don't have to be afraid anymore. You can leave all that behind you. You a wonderful person, I've always thought so. You know what I see beneath the bruises and the handcuffs? A girl I respect. And I always will."

 _"Lift up your head..."_


	2. Chapter 2

_"Seymour's your man!"_

Her hands already rested on shoulders, Audrey flung her arms around Seymour's neck and kissed passionately, eagerly, and he responded in kind, his arms wrapped securely around her waist. She deepened the kiss, caressing his back and neck. Seymour snaked one hand to the back of her neck and entangled it in her blonde bob, pulling her even closer to him, if that were possible.

They could have remained there forever, entwined in the far corner of the back room; hands exploring soft, new skin; lips moving as one. They would have, in fact, had the bell above the shop door not rung.

 _Ding!_ The two jumped from each other, as far as they could go. Audrey smoothed her hair and dress while Seymour readjusted his glasses. Walking out to the shop front, Seymour called out, "We're closed!" What, or who, he saw stopped him in his tracks.

"Where is she?" The gruff, leather-clad man demanded, gripping Seymour by the collar of his shirt. "I—she—" he sputtered out to Orin Scrivello, DDS. Before the dentist could berate him, though, Seymour heard a squeak of "I'm coming doctah!" and a clanking of sharp stilettos against linoleum. Audrey appeared just in the nick of time, her hair and makeup looking as flawless as it had when she arrived at work this morning. Orin threw Seymour from his grip, sending the already-weak shop hand crashing to the floor. His head hit the counter hard, blurring his vision momentarily and dizzying his head.

The sadist began on Audrey. He grabbed her roughly by the wrist, bellowing, "Where the hell have you been doing?"

"Seymour and I—we hadta clean up from all the people here today!" Seymour was both surprised and impressed by how quickly, how easily, she could lie to the menace. _She's probably had plenty of practice..._ he pushed the thought aside for later. "I'm sorry Orin!"

"Sorry WHAT?" he demanded. "Doctah!" Audrey knew to reply. "I'm sorry _doctah!_ "

"That's what I thought," were the last words Seymour heard from the dentist, who, tightening his grip on her wrist and twisting her arm, dragged her from the shop. Audrey just had time to turn her head and mouth "bye, Seymour" to him before the door slammed shut.

Perhaps he imagined it, but Seymour thought he heard a low whimper of " _Feeeed me._ "


	3. Chapter 3

The dentist dragged Audrey just out of the shop before he smacked her hard with the back of his hand, his knuckles each leaving their own small bruise on her pale cheek. "Whore," he taunted her, "screwing some little punk behind my back!"

"Oh no, doctah, it's nothin' like that!" Audrey cried, "Seymour's nobody, just some guy at work!"

Orin seized her roughly, drawing her dangerously close. "And why should I believe a dirty, lyin' _slut_ like you?" he spat at her as she trembled in his grip. This was how he liked her: afraid, shaking, shivering at his presence.

"I...I'm all yours, doctah," she stuttered, wrapping her arms around him as affectionately as she could, hoping it would placate him, "not Seymour's." Orin threw the shaking woman to the rough, choppy Skid Row sidewalk, which scraped against the soft skin of her arms, legs, and cheek, sending runs through her nylons and drawing blood from her elbows and wrists.

Orin turned from her and paced towards his motorcycle as the blonde scrambled to stand and follow him. Removing his nitrous puff from the pocket of his shiny leather jacket, he brought it to his nostril and took a long puff of the gas as he pulled Audrey onto his bike. _Tonight will be fun_.

The sound of a revving motor and a shrill laugh rang through the little ghetto hauntingly, somehow still echoing after the two had left.

Once again, the corner florist was buzzing with business, with people trying to get a glimpse above the crowds of the mysterious Audrey II and paying good money for a fern or a few daisies while they craned their necks for a better view.

For one night, the plant hadn't wilted and forced Seymour to sacrifice his blood to the plant. He should have slept through the night for the first time in weeks, full of blood and ready for the next day.

But he couldn't.

He kissed Audrey—no, _Audrey_ kissed _him!_ It should have been the greatest night of his life! But just as soon as she was in his arms, she was out of them, in the hands of a cruel, abusive man, and Seymour himself was left a few bruises and a dizzying headache from being thrown to the tile floor, though they were small compared to what Orin inflicted on Audrey.

He saw Orin hit her. He saw him threaten her then throw her to the pavement. Seymour wanted to stop him, to save her...but the dizziness left him too weak to stand, let alone fight. He'd do nothing but get them both killed.

Still, Seymour was plagued with Audrey. Audrey, smiling at him from across the shop, a bouquet of lilies in lily-white hands. Audrey, resting her head against him as she cried and he comforted. Audrey, toying with his hair with one hand, pressing herself close to him with the other, kissing his lips with all the love in the world...

Audrey, with a swollen purple welt covering her eye. Audrey, struggling against the forceful will of a certain forceful dentist. Audrey, lying on the sidewalk, bloody and battered...

It was another sleepless night, followed by another chaotic morning. _Where is she_ , Seymour wondered to himself, conjuring more brutal images of her.

"It's passed noon!" Mr. Mushnik cried, breaking Seymour from his thoughts as they grew more and more graphic. "Where is she, Seymour?"

"Audrey had a date last night," Seymour called back in reply before telling the man about to pay that he should probably buy red roses, not tulips, to give to his soon-to-be-fiancee.

"Of course she did! Audrey needs a doctah, not a date," Mushnik rolled his eyes, but Seymour gulped. "A doctah's the problem," he muttered to himself.

Seymour handed the cash register while Mr. Mushnik tried to get the customers to leave for his lunch hour. "We open up again in an hour!" Mushnik hollered out. "The Audrey II needs to eat, too!" The sea of patrons swarmed out the door, but, as if on cue, the bell above the door jingled just as soon as the last customer left. "Come back in an hour!" Mushnik called, not bothering to look at the door opener.

"Sorry I'm late, Mista Mushnik," a squeaky voice apologized softly.

"Audrey! Where you been all day?" Mushnik turned to look at his employee; she was a mess. her makeup was even thicket than usual, eyelids bluer, lips and cheeks redder, but it did little to cover the new bruises formed on her pale face. A particularly long one trailed around her left eye, matched by a raw red scrape on her cheek. Her right cheek bore four small, aligned, raising-shaped back and blue marks, in the exact shape of knuckles.

"Audrey, what happened to ya?" Mushnik asked softly, "Here, let me take ya out to lunch."

"Uhh...thank you, Mista Mushnik, but if you don't mind, I'd rather stay here with Seymour and help him get some work done before the rest of the day." Audrey smiled at Mushnik, and Seymour smiled at Audrey. Mushnik looked confused, but he simply shrugged and left the shop to the two store hands.

As soon as the boss was out of sight, Audrey ran behind the counter to Seymour and practically leapt into his arms to kiss him. The kiss was short, and when it broke, Seymour kept Audrey close to him in a warm embrace, one arm tight around her waist and the other gently stroking her hair as she rested her head on his shoulder.

Seymour gently kissed the top of her head. Smiling at her, he gently cooed, "You okay Audrey?"

She lifted her head, bringing her big, beautiful eyes to gaze at his. "Can we maybe talk somewhere _private_ real quick?" He couldn't say no.

Thinking quickly, he sat quickly on the ground and, grinning goofily up at Audrey in a desperate attempt to make her laugh, tugged on her hands, silently coercing her to join him. Giggling, she sat in front of him and he slid into the space beneath the counter, and she followed. Wrapping an arm around her, Seymour said wryly, "I don't think I've been down here since Mr. Mushnik found me a real bed..."

Audrey's mouth gaped open, and she giggled in humorless shock. He smiled at her gently. "it's not so bad down here. Kinda cozy..." his voice trailed off, and he wrapped an arm around her and inhaled, ready to begin a hard conversation.


	4. Chapter 4

Audrey didn't settle into his embrace; instead, she seized him by the shoulders and quickly, desperately kissed him. Breaking it, she said, "Orin thinks we're togetha" She kissed him again, "He _knows_ we're togetha." Another kiss. "If he figures it out for sure, he'll kill me." Another kiss. "Worse, he'll kill _you_!" Leaning back into the counter, she pulled Seymour into her for a long, deep kiss. Seymour hovered just above her, his hands keeping his balance on either side of her slender body.

Seymour lost himself in her kiss, swept up by the flowery scent of he perfume, the soft touch of her skin, the sweet taste of her lips. His heart threatened to burst right out of his chest when she deftly moved her lips from his, running them along his jawline and sucking gently at the delicate skin of his throat; he gasped in surprise and pleasure. Audrey pulled her head up and hooked her lips to his again, but after savoring only a few sweet seconds of her, Seymour finally found the will to break away from her.

"Audrey?" "Mmm?" She latched onto his lips again, and again he broke away. "Audrey!"

That time she pulled back, blushing. "Sorry," she whispered, with a small, timid smile. "I just...ain't used to kissin' someone like that." Seymour smiled at her and wrapped his arms around her protectively, kissing the top of her head as she nuzzled into his chest. It was a perfect moment; Seymour hated to disturb it. But the clock was ticking and they had no time to waste, because too soon the shop would be packed again, and the day would be done again.

Sharply inhaling, Seymour finally asked, "What do you mean Orin knows?"

Audrey moved from against his chest, turning to face him, and told him, "When we left here yesterday, he smacked me and said he knew...I was screwin' ya." She blushed as she continued. "That's how I got this," she indicated to the knuckle-shaped bruises," and this," the raw scrape on her cheek.

"What about those?" he asked, gently brushing his fingers against the purple marks formed around her wrist. "I didn't move outta here fast enough" was her simply reply.

"And that?" Seymour softly traced the bruise surrounding her eye. Audrey's pale face turned as red as her lipstick, and she stuttered out, "I, uh...I didn't...um...do...well enough, last night, he said..." It was Seymour's turn to blush now.

"Audrey, why d'you let him do that to ya?" Seymour asked earnestly.

"Because guys like Orin are the only guys that want Skid Row whores," she muttered, looking down at her lap. "Nice goes don't want someone like me, not really."

"I do," Seymour responded, taking her hand. "I have since ya came to work here. You're not a whore, Audrey. If anything, a great gil like you shouldn't want a poor jerk like me! You could have a prince, or a lawyer, or someone important, instead of a little plant clerk."

"Aww, Seymour," Audrey smiled at him, "Who wouldn't want you? You're kind, you're smart, successful...I think you're pretty important!"

At this, Seymour cupped her face in his hands and, in his own sweet but awkward way, kissed her lightly. Their lips barely touched; it was, after all, the first time Seymour initiated a kiss. But Audrey knew what to do. She pressed her lips to his, closing all distance between them.

When they finally pulled apart, Audrey, her eyes still closed, whispered dreamily, "I want you, Seymour. Not Orin, or anyone else." Seymour gathered her quickly into his arms, and she rested easily against him, her head tucked under his chin and his arms around her slim waist.

"So," Seymour began to ask, "what do you wanna do?"

Audrey sighed. "I'm gonna hafta leave him. Maybe not right away, or else he'll come after ya too."

"Won't he hurt you?" His voice broke, concerned. "I don't want you to get hurt."

"he's gonna hurt me no matta what," she replied, halfheartedly smiling, "but I think you're worth a couple bruises."

Seymour kissed the top of her head. "Don't get hurt for me," he said, "I can wait as long as you need."

Their hour had nearly passed, so Seymour rose from the counter, grabbing Audrey's hands to help her out of their little hiding space. Sure enough, Mr. Mushnik returned within minutes, and the customers followed after him. But neither Seymour nor Audrey could think much about flowers; their minds were focused on when they could share their next kiss.


	5. Chapter 5

_This is the beginning of new content for this story!_

"Are you sure you hafta go?" Seymour asked again, once more hiding in the back corner of the little shop's back room. Audrey had settled on his lap after closing and informed him that Orin wouldn't be by for a whole hour, giving the two of them plenty of time together, and they refused to let a moment go to waste. Now, with Audrey safe in his embrace, he was reluctant to give her up.

"Seymour, ya know he'll be furious if I'm late!" Audrey sighed, wishing with all her heart she could stay tucked in this room forever with Seymour's arms snug around her. "Don't worry 'bout me—you know I'll be okay."

"I could—I could fight him off for you!" he declared with such bravado that Audrey almost believed it.

She chuckled sadly and said, "Can you even make a fist with all those bandages on your fingers?" Seymour offered no response. "How 'bout this: when your hands are healed, we can think about this again?"

Seymour drew her close to him and brought his lips to her cheek. "I just can't watch you go off and know that if I even get to see you tomorrow, you're gonna be, you know, all bruised up and injured."

"It ain't a pretty sight, is it…" Audrey stated blankly. She glanced at the wall clock, her eyes growing wide as she registered the time—"Seymour, I really gotta go. Tomorra—I promise I won't make any plans for tomorra!" She pecked him on the lips, then jumped up from his lap and dashed out of the shop, the bell tinkling behind her.

Seymour sighed and made his way to the main room, where he found a very large, very drooping Audrey II. "Aww Twoey, I knew last night was too good to be true. Here," he said, unwrapping the band-aid on one finger, "I might be able to squeeze some outta—"

The trap opened. "Feeeeeeed me," a voice whimpered.

Seymour stopped dead in his tracks. "What was that?"

"Feed me," the voice grew stronger, and Seymour nearly fell back in astonishment. "Twoey, you...you talked! You opened up your trap and you—"

"Feed me, Krelborn, feed me now!" The plant demanded in a deep, petulant whine. "I'm starvin'!"

Seymour grimaced as he managed to squeeze a drop of blood from one finger, the plant crying "more, more!" as it greedily drank away. "I haven't got anymore!" Seymour tried to reason with the plant, "What do you want me to do, slit my wrists?" Audrey II let out a hungry gasp, and Seymour muttered an alarmed "Oh boy."

The plant bombarded him with temptations, promising to keep Seymour rich and successful if he could get him some blood, immediately. "After all," the plant crooned, "you're gonna need it if you wanna keep that girl around."

"What? What's Audrey got to do with this?"

"Audrey did not give you the time of day until she realized just how 'successful' and 'important' you are nowadays!" Seymour's face fell _. That's not true…is it?_ His mind raced, grasping for evidence to prove the plant wrong. Audrey had always been friendly with him, giving him a warm smile when she entered the shop or talking to him during down time. But they had certainly gotten… _closer_ …since the plant arrived, it's true. _"You're kind, smart, **successful** …"_ her earlier words rang in his mind. Would he be good enough for her without the success his plant had brought?

"I—but we…even if you're right, what do you want me to do, kill her boyfriend?!"

"I'll make it worth your whiiiiile," Twoey crooned. Seymour froze at the notion. "I—I can't really _kill_ someone, Twoey!"

"Hmm," the plant thought for a moment, "you sure 'bout that?" Twoey turned Seymour with one vine and used another to push the blinds to one side, giving them a clear view of the street outside.

Orin screeched to a halt on his bike, with Audrey trailing behind him, running as fast as her high heels could take her. Seymour couldn't quite make out what they were saying, but he was certain Audrey's lips repeated, "I'm sorry doctah!" Orin dragged her into her apartment and slammed the door behind him. They were only silhouettes through her window now, but he watched Orin pull Audrey roughly by the arm and slap her hard across her face, her whole body swiveling from the impact.

That was it; Seymour lunged for the door, stopped only by vines wrapping around his wrists and holding him back. "Lemme go!" he shouted, trying to break free of the vines' restraints. "Get off Twoey!"

"What's your plan, kid? Run in there, pull him out, and chop him up in front of Audrey?"

Seymour stopped struggling. "I don't—I don't know but I gotta do something!"

The Audrey II's grin was sickening; "Why don't we figure something out tonight?"

 _"The guy sure looks like plant food to me…_


	6. Chapter 6

8 o'clock: one hour until opening, and technically report time for Mushnik and Son's employees. Even now, as a famous and successful botanist, Seymour started each morning by sweeping up the shop, making sure it was spotless before Mr. Mushnik arrived at 8:30, although the bandage cutting across his palm made holding the broom difficult. Still, it was either a little cut to the palm last night or a sickly plant this morning.

Nearly as soon as he'd begun sweeping, the door opened behind him, giving him a startle. "That you Mr. Mushnik?" he asked without turning around.

He heard a giggle behind him. "Not exactly…" a much squeakier voice replied. He turned around immediately, dropping his broom and not caring to pick it up. Seymour rushed over to her and pulled her into a hug, lifting her briefly off the ground.

"Audrey, you're on time! This hasn't happened in…forever!"

Audrey laughed and kissed his cheek. "Orin was in a good mood this morning, I don't know why but I ain't complainin'!" She grabbed Seymour's cheeks and planted a firm kiss on his lips. "And, I don't have a date tonight, so we can spend the whole night togetha," she said before kissing him again, slower and more sultry. Seymour slipped his hands around her instantly, smiling as he kissed her. They broke apart but remained close, their foreheads touching as they gazed into each other's eyes and grinned.

"Whaddaya mean he was in a good mood?" Seymour asked eventually. "Did he…hit you?"

"Only once and it was nothin'. Besides," she continued, her big green eyes more expressive than ever, "I really coulda damaged his bike so really it _was_ my fault." Seymour felt sick to his stomach thinking that the brutal smack he witnessed last night could ever be called 'nothing.' _What's happened to her…?_ He shuddered to think.

"Audrey…" he began, but Audrey silenced him with a finger to his lips. "I _really_ don't wanna talk about Orin right now," she whispered, pulling him close and hoping he got the message.

He did.

But just as Seymour leaned in, the door to the shop swung open, startling the pair apart. Their boss stood imposing in the doorway, eyeing his employee's embrace. "You're here early Audrey," Mushnik commented suspiciously.

Audrey disentangled herself from Seymour and replied with a slight chuckle, "Yeah, I guess so…" After a long, uncomfortable moment of the boss staring unblinkingly at his two shop hands, Seymour resumed his sweeping, and Audrey began to fix up the window display before opening the blinds. Mushnik gave his employees a sidelong glare, but he left them to their business without comment. Audrey let out a nervous giggle and, slipping behind the counter to prep the register, whispered, "We really gotta be more careful!" Seymour nodded solemnly to her, but he leaned over the counter and kissed her cheek, pulling back just before the crowds began to line up out front, desperate to see the Audrey II. Her eyes wide and her lips in the faintest smile, Audrey gingerly touched her hand to her cheek, snapping out of it only when the first phone rang.

"I gotta make a quick phone call—then we can eat downstairs?" Seymour half-asked. Audrey nodded and picked up her lunch, moving down the steps quietly.

Trembling, Seymour picked up the phone and dialed a number he'd looked up the night before. After a few rings, a woman's voice muttered in monotone, "Hello Scrivello Dentistry how can I help you."

"Hi, uh…" Seymour decided to disguise his voice, lowering it just a bit. "Hi. What time is you're latest appointment?"

The voice on the other end paused. "Well, we're all booked for today but….you're in luck. Dr. Scrivello is taking the day off tomorrow and doing late-night appointments only. How does 11 o'clock sound?"

"Great!" Seymour exclaimed, forgetting himself. He coughed and resumed his other voice, "Uh, great!"

The woman on the other end did not sound amused. "Mmhmm. So who is this for again?"

Seymour paused; if he said his real name, Orin would be suspicious, but he hadn't actually thought of a fake name in advance. When he heard a "hello?" on the other end, he merely responded with the first botanist he thought of: "Ellis. Uh, John Ellis."

"Alright. So tomorrow night, John Ellis at 11 PM. We'll see you then," she said briefly before hurrying to hang up the phone. Seymour dropped his line to the receiver, letting out an apprehensive breath he hadn't even known he'd been holding.

"That sure is some plant," commented the very last of the dawdling customers who just refused to leave the flower shop.

"Yes it is, sir," Audrey responded. "Will you be buyin' anything today?" She asked with as much tact as she could muster.

"Huh?" The customer finally looked away from the plant to find an empty flower shop, save the three who worked there. "Oh, yeah. You guys have any posies?"

Mushnik rang up his order and led him out the door, and Seymour turned the sign to 'closed' the second it shut behind him. Grabbing his hat and coat, Mushnik noticed that one of his employees showed no sign of leaving the shop for the day, instead dawdling by the daffodils. "Audrey," he said, a softness in his voice betraying the stern look on his face, "you sure you know what you're doing?"

Audrey looked at him, a solemn gaze in her wide green eyes, and glanced quickly, almost imperceptibly, at Seymour before nodding quietly. Mushnik returned with his own curt nod before heading out the door for the night.

Audrey crossed the room to shut the blinds and lock the door before slinking over to Seymour. Wrapping her arms around his waist, she pulled him close to her with a smirk and pressed her lips firmly to his. He brought his hand to her cheek and wrapped the other snugly around her, eager for their night together.


	7. Chapter 7

They sat close on the foot of Seymour's bed in the basement of the shop, picking at the Chinese take-out Seymour had gotten them. The radio blared as the pair laughed between bites of food or sang along to favorite songs, the mood light and fun. When the song switched from an upbeat tune to something softer and slower, Audrey leapt up, pulling Seymour with her by the hands.

"Come on Seymour, let's dance!" she cried, tugging him to his feet and wrapping her arms around his shoulders.

Seymour stared back at her with wide, nervous eyes. "I dunno Audrey, I'm not so good on my feet really…"

Audrey would hear none of it, though. Gently but firmly, she placed one of his hands on the small of her back and took the other in her own. "I'll show ya," she said, smiling serenely at him. She placed her free hand on his shoulder and began to sway, encouraging him to do the same.

Seymour, admittedly, was justified in saying he wasn't so good on his feet; he managed to get tripped up even just slowly swaying to the melody, stumbling and moving off-tempo. But Audrey continued to lead until he got the hang of it, eventually finding himself able to move with the song. Emboldened by his newfound abilities, Seymour decided he'd try to spin Audrey under his arm, like he'd seen in the movies. But Audrey, who wasn't expecting the turn, found that it was her turn to stumble, tripping on her stiletto and colliding into Seymour's chest as he caught her in his arms, haphazardly keeping them upright.

He heard it as soon as she fell into him, but it took a moment to register: Audrey began to laugh, loudly and heartily. Her eyes scrunched up as a high-pitched chortle burst from her wide smile, not laughing at him but merely letting out a joy she hadn't even known she could feel anymore. And Seymour realized that this, in all their years of working together, was the first time he ever heard Audrey truly laugh. He began to chuckle with her, all the while thinking that he had never seen a more perfect sight.

Audrey coaxed herself to her feet, but Seymour's arms stayed snug around her, as they had been when he first caught her. She gazed at Seymour, a warm, radiant smile gracing her lips.

"Seymour?"

"Yeah?" he asked quietly, as if in a dream.

"I—I…" the words stuck in her throat, unable to cross the threshold and escape. Not knowing what to do, unable to speak but unwilling to remain quiet, Audrey pressed her lips to his. She brought her hands to his cheeks and deepened the kiss as Seymour pulled her close to him and entangled a hand in her hair, wishing to close all distance between their bodies.

When they finally pulled apart, Seymour gazed at her with his shining blue eyes and a shy smile before saying, "Me too." Audrey's eyes grew wide in surprise, and she grinned widely before crashing her lips onto Seymour's in a hard kiss. He immediately wrapped his arms around her in a tight embrace, desperate to feel every inch of her body and to force himself to believe that Audrey really, truly, wanted him the way he wanted her. Audrey quickly shed herself of the sweater she wore atop her dress and then pulled him even closer to her, winding her arms tightly around his neck and her hand into the curls of his hair. She guided him to his bed, planting kisses all over his face and on his neck, nibbling at the delicate flesh. Slowly she lay down, guiding Seymour on top of her. He broke away for just a moment, staring down at her before burying his face in the crook of her neck and whispering "I love you" inaudibly against her skin, trailing hot kisses along her neck and jaw. He brought his lips again to hers, ready to cross a new threshold…


	8. Chapter 8

Could it really only be 10 o'clock? It seemed much later to the couple lying in bed in a dingy Skid Row basement. Not that either seemed concerned; Seymour absentmindedly played with blonde strands of hair as Audrey chattered beside him. She wore his clean, white undershirt as a nightgown, and he found himself bewitched by the sight. Equally bewitching were her shimmering green eyes, devoid, for once, of mascara and eye shadow: after their tryst, Audrey had scampered off momentarily, and she returned with a clean face and clad in his shirt. Her eyes shone, her pink lips pouted, and every inch of her glowed.

After a quiet moment, Seymour removed his hand from Audrey's hair to pull her closer to him. "Did I tell you how amazing you look right now?" he asked, unsurprised when Audrey responded with flushed cheeks.

"You're too sweet," she doted in reply, sinking into his bare chest. "I don't deserve ya, Seymour, but ya make me so happy," she sighed. Before Seymour had a chance to retaliate, a motorcycle screeched outside the window as if to a halt, and Audrey instinctively stiffened at the sound, her body trembling. She felt her stomach sink as anxiety and despair overcame her.

"Seymour?" she whispered. "Seymour…what if that's him? This is wrong. Oh god...he'll kill us both, oh Seymour I can't let him do that to you!" she breathed rapidly and heavily, terror overtaking her every thought.

Seymour, for his part, held her tighter to him and stroked her hair soothingly to try to calm her, saying with a hush, "There's nothing to be scared of, Audrey, I've gotcha. There's no way that's him."

As if on cue, there was a bang on the door of the shop upstairs.

Both froze, except for Audrey's shaking. Seymour could feel her heart thumping wildly, her eyes bigger than a deer's in headlights. "I—I'm sure whoever it is'll go away soon," he whispered.

The banging grew louder, a rapid succession of knocks pulsing through the room. Carefully, to make sure the bed didn't creak and give away her location, Audrey rose and crossed to the little window on the other side of the room, peeking out cautiously to try to see above ground. When he heard a quiet gasp, Seymour began to really panic.

"Audrey, come back!" he whisper-shouted, "We'll just wait it out down here." She scurried back to the bed, desperate for the comfort of Seymour's embrace. Sure enough, the knocking did end after a few minutes, and the couple let out a collective sigh as their limbs unstiffened and their heart rates calmed down.

There was a bang at the basement door. Audrey and Seymour both jumped out of their skin, fear blocking all other thoughts. Suddenly grateful for the lack of windows his bedroom door offered, Seymour was struck by a plan: he lifted Audrey to her feet and silently shoved her into his tiny closet, mouthing "I'm sorry" as he shut the door. Her clothes were scattered around the room, but Seymour kicked them into obscurity under his bed. Sparing a final look to ensure that everything was hidden, he ran to unlock and open the door.

"Hello?" He asked, as though he hadn't known whose face waited on the other side of the door. Orin's scowl pierced him as the man said, "Where the _hell_ is Audrey?"

Sweat formed on Seymour's brow. "I—I dunno. The shop closed at 6…"

Orin gripped the back of his neck tightly. "You wanna try that again?"

Seymour struggled against him, trying to break free. "I don't know! I can't tell you where she is!" _And the last part isn't even technically a lie._

Orin wasn't satisfied. Throwing Seymour down to the concrete floor, he growled, "I know something's going on. Listen, kid, I don't mind you, but you're a damn idiot if you think that whore's worth your time. So tell me where the _fuck_ she is and save yourself the troub—"

Seymour lunged before he knew what hit him. He leapt up and tackled Orin to the ground with strength he hadn't even known he possessed, even managing to land a punch before the larger, more experienced fighter turned the tables, flipping around so Seymour lay defenseless to Orin's blows on the cold concrete. His glasses had flown off when he initially launched at the dentist, and Orin's punches landed on his eyes, across his jaw, and deep into his stomach. Still, Seymour flailed as adrenaline coursed through him, desperate to fend the fiend off and save the woman he loved. He landed one or two more hits, sufficiently blackening Orin's eye, before he felt himself begin to fade. His swollen eyes grew heavy, and the last thing he heard before darkness overtook him was a high-pitched scream as Audrey flung open his closet door and cried, "Orin, get off—!"

 _oooooh, drama..._


	9. Chapter 9

Seymour came to only moments later, but he found an empty basement before him. "No!" he groaned to himself, attempting to stand but overcome by dizziness immediately. He braced himself against his bed until the spell passed him. His entire body ached and he could barely see. _My glasses!_ He remembered suddenly, rushing as fast as he could go—which wasn't terribly fast—across the room to his discarded glasses, putting them on and alleviating part of his dizziness. His mind was foggy and his face was swollen, but still he plodded up the stairs, trying to get out the door and rescue his girlfriend.

His foot caught on a vine as soon as he landed on the top floor, sending him pummeling to the ground. His forehead bumped against the linoleum, and suddenly his body was hit with every ache, bruise, cut, bite, and sleepless night of the last few weeks. He needed to stand and save Audrey…he needed to…

After only a few moments' struggle, he fell grudgingly into oblivion on the florist floor, his mind fighting every step of the way against his body's physical shutdown.

...

"KRELBORN" a voice bellowed at him hours later, sending him jolting from his restless sleep. He found himself lying face down on the shop floor, the Audrey II wilted beside him and Mushnik towering over him, his face set in a scowl. Seymour leapt up as fast as he could but wobbled on unsteady legs into Mr. Mushnik, who had to set him upright.

"What in the name of God happened here last night?!" Mushnik exclaimed.

Seymour gulped nervously. "It's all ruined sir!" he moaned. "Audrey…have you heard from her?!" He tried to push past his boss toward the door, but Mushnik caught him by the arm.

"What do you mean 'have I heard from her?'" Mushnik glared. "She was here with you! You…you two schmucks didn't get found out did you?" Seymour's gazing at the floor was all the affirmation he needed.

Before Mushnik could begin to berate Seymour, the phone rang, and Mushnik hurried to answer. "Hello, Mushnik's Skid Row Florist, Mushnik speaking." He listened for a moment, then his eyes grew wide and he summoned his employee over. "I'm sorry, but I'm gonna need to hear that from Audrey herself," he replied, turning the receiver so both could hear the other end.

"Mista Mushnik?" a familiar voice came over the phone line.

"Audrey!" Seymour exclaimed immediately, "Audrey are you okay please—!"

"Oh I'm fine _Mista Mushnik_ ," she emphasized, her voice sounding more pained than her words let on, "I'm just a little under the weatha. I should be back in tomorra…"

"Well alright…" Mushnik replied, sounding concerned, as Seymour bit his tongue. "Do you need us to do anything, or bring you something, or—"

"No!" She burst out in a panic. "No, really, uh, I'm okay!" The line cut off before either man on the other side could respond.

Slamming down the phone, Mushnik groaned. "Fantastic!" he said through bitter, gritted teeth. "One employee off being tortured God knows where, another one functionally useless, and even the money-making plant is down for the count." Seymour stared dejectedly at his feet as Mr. Mushnik continued to rant, deciding ultimately not to open the shop that day, and stormed out, slamming the front door behind him.

No sooner had he left than Seymour heard a low whimper of "Feeeeeed me." He sighed with exhaustion, "You know I can't do that yet, Twoey. Can't ya wait till tonight?"

"Just a little snack?" the plant asked, lifting its pod from the shop floor.

"Twoey please, give it a rest!" Seymour cried out, sinking against the counter to the floor in despair. Burying his face in his hands, he let out hot, pained tears from his swollen eyes, his mind filling with horrid images of whatever torment Orin was most surely putting Audrey through right now.

 _Please let her hang on till tonight,_ Seymour prayed, standing and crossing the room to retrieve Mr. Mushnik's gun from a drawer near the cash register. Rage encompassed him, his eyes now dry and his fists clenched. _I can save her tonight._

Admittedly, Seymour felt much braver in theory than in practice. His heart thumped against his chest as he sat in the scratchy waiting room chair, anxiously awaiting his pseudonym to be called. For the last half hour, he'd heard screams, cries, tears, and—perhaps most frightening of all— _giggles_ come from the other side of those steel doors.

Finally, the nurse said, "Ellis, you're up!" as she picked up her pocketbook and left, since Seymour had the last appointment of the special late night. Jumping up as soon as she spoke, Seymour crossed toward the dentist's office. He opened the door and slid inside, hoping somehow that the dentist wouldn't notice his patient.

Seymour had no such luck. Orin grabbed him by the lapel and cried out, "Sit on down," shoving him into the chair without sparing him so much as a glance. When he did finally look at his patient, his eyes narrowed into a piercing glare. "Oh. It's you.

Seymour gulped. "Yeah, I, uh…" he trailed off, unable to finish a thought. He had an idea, to get Orin enough on his side to not torture him in this chair. "You were right, what you said last night." He tried hard not to wince at his own words, giving the dentist a long look. Seymour couldn't help but notice the black eye he'd given Orin last night, along with scratches and nail marks on his cheek, neck, and hands. _Audrey fought back this time…_

Orin softened his harsh glare into the usual snarl his face bore and grunted. Ignoring Seymour's statement, he hovered over Seymour and simply snapped, "Say ahh!" as he towered over his charge. Seymour jumped up fearfully, screaming out "AHH!" almost against his will. After what felt like only a quick look, Orin proclaimed, "You're a mess, kid. _Oh Seymour, the thing's I'm gonna do to your mouth! I'm gonna need some gas for this…"_

 _I'll be honest with you all and say that I'm not terribly proud of this chapter, but it needed to be written. Also, sorry for the delay!_


	10. Chapter 10

Seymour stood in the shower for what felt like hours, trying to scrub the feeling of blood from his skin. The deed was done: the plant was fed, the storefront washed, and whatever evidence remained was disposed of. Now all that was left to do was to get Audrey out of her apartment under the auspices of protection, to show her he still cared and wanted her away from Orin. _The creep's gone,_ Seymour thought, shuddering as he remembered the horrifying manner of Orin's death—suicide, really. _At least I didn't have to kill him…_ he tried to justify, still shaken from chopping him up and feeding him to a hungry plant.

Feeling as he clean as he'd ever feel again, Seymour switched off the water and hurriedly dried himself off. He dressed quickly and ran across the street to Audrey's apartment, throwing open the door to her building. Her door was the first on the left, and he began to knock incessantly the moment he came across it. "Who—who is it?" he heard her squeak from inside.

"Audrey it's me please open up!" he cried, still knocking. He heard the _click_ of the lock, but Audrey opened the door only partially, the chain still holding it semi-shut.

"Seymour, you shouldn't be here," she warned in a low voice, her eyes darting nervously about the hallway and staring with fear at the building's door. Both her eyes were blackened, and she had a split lip. Seymour tried to protest, but she interrupted, "Please go back to the shop, I'll see ya tomorra." She couldn't look him in the eye.

Seymour begged, "Please, Audrey, let me in. I'm so sorry—I couldn't protect you last night, but I can now! I—we can go to a hotel for the night, where he can't find us, if you want, I mean. Just…plea-please trust me…" Audrey sighed and closed the door, reopening it only a moment later without the chain against her own best judgment.

"This is insane!" She ejected, letting Seymour into her little apartment. "What if he comes back?!" She wore only her slip, bruises and welts and cuts and burns covering every visible inch of her, and she limped on her swollen left ankle when she walked. Still, Audrey began to shove some clothes, makeup, and a little first aid kit—her necessities—into a bag.

"Here, lemme grab that," Seymour offered, taking the little suitcase from her and finishing packing while Audrey shrugged on a long coat, covering her from collar bone to knee, and slid on her heels. Grabbing her keys, she switched off the lights and limped furiously out the door, carefully locking up and leading Seymour as quickly as she could out of her building. Wincing with every step, Audrey faltered on the bottom stoop and swung backwards until Seymour caught her around her waist and maneuvered her upright. "Sorry 'bout that," she muttered in a soft, pained voice.

Seymour kept his arm around her, helping her keep her balance. Luckily, a cab happened by at just that moment, and Audrey managed to flag it down. She swung the door open and climbed in, Seymour following behind her. He gave the cabbie the name of a cheap little hotel not too far away, and Audrey finally let out that breath she'd been holding as the taxi sped out of Skid Row.

Feeling somewhat secure for the first time all day, Audrey allowed herself to scoot next to Seymour and take his hand in hers. "Sorry I was short with ya back there," she confessed quietly, grazing her thumb over his and finally looking into his deep blue eyes. "I'm just so scared…"

He returned with a small smile, saying, "You got nothing to be sorry about." Audrey gave him a tight-lipped grin that didn't quite reach her eyes, but she squeezed his hand and rested her head on his shoulder as they continued their cab ride in silence.

They soon arrived at the "City Inn" hotel. Seymour helped lift Audrey out of the taxi, mindful of her ankle, and he grabbed her bag. A light rain had begun to fall, drizzling just hard enough to soak the pair through as they rushed from the cab to the lobby. They approached the front desk, and Audrey said to the receptionist, "Are there any rooms available for the night?"

One woman behind the desk cocked an eyebrow and clipped, "We got nothing," her eyes fixated on her magazine, but her coworker noticed Seymour and exclaimed, "Hey! Ain'tcha that kid with the amazin' plant?!" Seymour blushed, but Audrey beamed proudly beside him, chirping, "He sure is!"

"I been meanin' to check that thing out, but the line is always so _long!"_ the woman whined, and her rude coworker nodded in agreement.

"If…I can get you two in past the crowds if you find us a room for the night!" Seymour bargained, and Audrey squeezed his hand supportively. The woman looked briskly through the check-in book. "Actually…it looks like we got just one room left for the night. 1K, it's all the way down that hallway," she directed, pointing toward the left.

"We'll take it!" Seymour cried, louder than he'd intended. "How much will it be for the night?"

The woman looked at the two misfits before her and, for reasons that she didn't quite understand, murmured, "It's on the house, kid," handing over the room key as her coworker's jaw dropped.

Seymour and Audrey grinned widely and scuttled down the hall to their room as fast as Audrey's leg would permit; Audrey proclaimed, "You're a genius!" at her boyfriend's brilliant bargaining. He opened the door and guided her into the room, helping her navigate to the bed and propping up her injured leg. "Lemme get a look at that," he said, gently massaging her ankle, but Audrey shied away from his touch.

"I got it," she said, "just hand me my bag?" Seymour did as he was told, and Audrey pulled her medical supplies from her suitcase. Grabbing an Ace bandage from the first-aid kit, she bent her leg at the knee and rested her damaged ankle on her lap, deftly wrapping it in the bandage, which she secured with a safety pin. She then unbuttoned her jacket and shrugged it off, revealing her poor, bruised limbs. She treated her cuts, burns, and welts with an ointment from her kit before limping to the little bathroom, where she soaked a cloth in cold water, wringed it out, and pressed it to her swollen eyes for a few moments, hoping to lessen the damage. Seymour stared on in horror all the while at her apparent routine.

Audrey dried off her face and returned to Seymour, sitting on the bed and tugging on his hands to sit him next to her. She lifted his glasses from his face and placed her hand on his cheek, gently caressing his swollen shiner with her thumb. "My poor Seymour…" she whispered as he closed his eyes.

Audrey forced herself to pull her hand away. "If you wanna go back to the shop, you can yanno," she said as Seymour's eyes snapped open. "That way if _…anyone_ …comes looking, we aren't togetha…"

"Audrey," Seymour said, taking her hands in his, "I _promise_ you, I'll never let him hurt you again." He gulped, knowing just how true that statement was.

But Audrey didn't look convinced. "I never meant for you to get hurt. Or for Orin to. I just wanted…" Her voice trailed off, and she never finished that thought. Seymour wrapped his arm around her shoulders, and she smiled weakly up at him. "I'm glad you're okay," she said softly, placing a hand on his knee, "Ya didn't look so good last night."

"Are you gonna be alright?" Seymour asked, quietly, as he scanned her body, becoming more and more upset with the marks that marred her.

"Me? I'll be fine. Besides," she stated matter-of-factly, "it coulda been a lot worse. This'll all heal up in a few days, and I should even be able to fix my face for work tomorrow." Seymour stared dumbfounded at her, and she confessed, "Actually… Orin started being real rough last night and I ended up scratching him pretty hard…I feel real bad about it…is that silly?" Two ideas struck Seymour in that moment:

First: Audrey could never find out what happened to Orin. If she could feel remorse for her own self-defense after what appeared to be a night of torture, she would never accept Seymour's aggression, even if he did it to keep her safe.

Second: Seymour would probably never feel truly guilty about what he did. Witnessing Orin's slow asphyxiation horrified him; chopping up the body disgusted him; and watching Twoey happily slurp up the dentist's remains downright made him ill. But as he sat beside a thoroughly injured Audrey, holding her in his bloodstained hands, he knew he couldn't regret his actions if it meant she'd never have to see a tumultuous night again.

Seymour pulled her close to him and pressed his lips to her forehead. He could feel Audrey's stiff joints relax as her heartbeat slowed to a normal rhythm. All of a sudden, Audrey let out a long yawn, and Seymour became aware of the heavy bags weighing under her eyes. "Do you wanna get some sleep?" he asked, and she nodded in reply. Seymour stood to switch off the lights before crawling into bed beside an already-reclining Audrey. He lay down on his back and rested his arm around her; she rolled into him in reply, laying her head against his chest and hooking her leg over his.

"G'night Seymour," she whispered into his chest, stretching up and pressing a light kiss to his jaw.

"Goodnight, Audrey," he replied. Almost immediately, he heard Audrey's breathing slow as she drifted to sleep. Seymour's mind weighed on him though: he'd done vile, evil things today, and though he couldn't quite regret them—not with his angel lying safely in his arms—the memory of life leaving a man's eyes haunted him already. Yet, with Audrey lying beside him, he felt strangely at ease, and he allowed himself to close his eyes, floating to sleep.

 _As you may have noticed, this is the part where I began taking some liberties with characterization. Welp._ ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯. _Also, the next chapter is the last!_


	11. Chapter 11

_BEEP!_ The alarm blared beside Seymour, who blindly slammed down the 'snooze' button before curling back into the comfortable position he'd found himself in upon waking—lying on his side, his chest pressed against his girlfriend's back as he held her snugly around her waist. After only a few moments, though, the ringing alarm blasted again, forcing Seymour awake.

Audrey, however, slept pleasantly through it, snoring lightly and stirring only when Seymour left her side. She glowed in the early morning sunlight, rays reflecting on her golden hair. Lying beside her once more, Seymour pressed his lips to her shoulder, shaking her lightly and saying, "Audrey, we gotta get to work." Her eyes fluttered open, bright shimmering emeralds, and she lifted her head with a sweet smile on her face.

"Good mornin' Seymour darlin'," she hummed, kissing his cheek. "What time is it?" She glanced at the alarm clock on the nightstand, her eyes growing wide as she registered the time. "Oh god!" Audrey leapt out of bed and grabbed her overnight bag. She quickly located the dress she packed and pulled it on, zipping herself up with ease and dashing to the bathroom mirror to do her makeup.

Seymour chuckled. "Calm down! We have plenty of time," he called out to his girlfriend. Audrey huffed in reply, pressing her powder to her face. "I'm gonna be a mess at work! Oh, my hair…" she moaned into the mirror. She hadn't thought to set her hair after getting caught in last night's rain, and now it hung in uncontrolled waves around her cheeks. Her powder set, she started in on her eyes, painting deep blue shadow onto her lids and applying her liner and mascara easily. She coated on her pinkish-red lipstick and brushed some rouge over her cheeks, her makeup flawlessly hiding her bruises and accentuating her beautiful features.

As she tried to make last-second improvements, Seymour snuck up behind her and pressed his lips to her freshly-rouged cheek. Audrey rolled her eyes good-naturedly and grinned at the domesticity they'd adopted overnight. She broke from the embrace to stuff her makeup into her bag and then sank onto the bed to slide on her heels. "C'mon Seymour! If we hurry, I can be on time for work _twice_ this week!"

Seymour couldn't help but laugh and tease back, "Has that ever happened?" Audrey's jaw dropped in mock-offense, but she giggled at him and swatted his arm playfully. He helped her up from the bed, and they emerged from their hotel room with 15 minutes to spare.

Audrey limped outside to hail a cab while Seymour returned their key to the front desk. "Thank you again," he said, nodding to the receptionists before hurrying outside and climbing into the taxi.

The ride to Mushnik's Skid Row Florist was brief, even during rush hour, and the couple made it to work at 7:55 on the dot. "See? On time _twice!_ " Audrey joked, grinning. "I'm just gonna run across the street and fix my hair…" With that, Audrey rushed out the door and hobbled across the little road to her apartment.

Seymour saw her return only moments later, her hair styled into a twist, but two police officers stopped her as she headed towards her workplace. They spoke for a few minutes before the officers let her go, and she opened the door to Mushnik's with an expression of blank confusion on her face.

"Audrey, what'd they say to you?" Seymour inquired.

"Who?" She replied blankly.

"The police," Seymour goaded, hoping for a more thorough response.

"It's Orin. They say…they say he's disappeared!" She stammered, still processing the information. "They suspect foul play…"

"The police told you that?" Seymour gulped, suddenly anxious.

Audrey nodded. "They told me his receptionist…this morning she found the place a shambles... They asked if I knew a man named John Ellis… apparently he's the last person to see Orin alive…" Her voice trailed off with uncertainty.

She wandered into the back room and sank onto the overturned bucket in the corner where their romance had begun. Seymour knelt beside her, interjecting, "Would it really be so terrible if something did happen to him?"

Audrey gasped and stared at Seymour in shock, but her expression softened after a moment as she replied, "It wouldn't be terrible at all…it would be a miracle. Not to mention the money I'd save on Epson salts and Ace bandages…" she indicated her left ankle with a wry, half-hearted smirk, trying to find humor in the bleak situation. "But still, if he met with foul play or some terrible accident…"

Seymour could sense her about to take blame for Orin's disappearance, so he interrupted with, "Audrey, he was a bad man who hurt a lot of people. You shouldn't feel guilty about anything. Besides," he placed a hand on her knee and smiled softly at her, "now we can be together."

At that thought, Audrey smiled weakly. "I suppose we can," she conceded, letting Seymour kiss her cheek. Audrey stood up and pulled Seymour into a tight hug, whispering "Thank ya" into the crook of his neck. Just then, the bell above the shop door jingled, indicating the arrival of their boss. Seymour and Audrey entered the shop front hand in hand and greeted Mr. Mushnik, who eyed them suspiciously.

"I read about your boyfriend in the _Skid Row Gazette_ this morning," Mushnik noted.

"It's awful, ain't it?" Audrey replied, both meaning it and not quite at the same time. Seymour squeezed her hand, and she gave him a small smile.

"Mmhmm," Mushnik hummed dubiously, leaving his shop hands to their work. With his employees there on time and working as efficiently than ever, despite the injuries they had sustained, Mushnik didn't particularly care what they did with their personal lives, but something felt off about the whole situation. Something he couldn't quite place until he happened to look down at the shop floor:

 _Little red dots, all over the linoleum…_

 _AN: Well that's it! Thanks for indulging me._


End file.
